Asia Pacific Products

Asia Pacific Publications

2015

Sustainability Practices 2015 Dashboard
The Conference Board Sustainability Practices Dashboard analyzes the most recent disclosure of environmental and social practices by public companies around the world.
(Sustainability Practices Dashboard, February 2015)

To successfully address future business challenges, organizations need to be strategic about how they plan for future leadership. This includes identifying high performers early and preparing leaders through experiential learning.

Highly engaged workforces can mean the difference between surviving and winning. Engagement boosts business performance, agility, and retention of talent. But exactly how do organizations achieve higher levels of engagement?

In January, the NBS announced that China’s Q4 GDP growth came in at 7.3 percent, unchanged from Q3, and leading to full-year growth of 7.4 percent for 2014. We are highly skeptical of this topline print. However, we do see some important trends.

Smaller labor supply slows economic growth. Labor productivity can offset this, and it will mainly come from investments in innovation and new technology. But to see returns, CHROs will need to maximize their human capital.

Despite the apparent weakening of buyer sentiment towards real estate in China, average prices of newly constructed apartments reportedly dropped by only 3.2 percent in 2013, even though sales of new apartments reportedly dropped by 8.9 percent.

2014

2014 Executive Coaching Survey
External and internal coaching are being used to develop critical skills. This report focuses on both practices and allows organizations to benchmark against more than 140 respondents.
(Research Report, December 2014)

Companies must craft the right brand voice and content to get a bigger impact from their social branding efforts. Firms are expanding their view of their customers for more opportunities to engage with them.

History suggests that current Anti-Monopoly Law (AML) machinations emanate from a deep love of and dependence on elite-controlled monopolies in China, and a deep hatred of foreign positions that contest them.

How do you grow in a time of slowing growth? For CFOs and finance executives, China's economy presents unique challenges. This function-specific summary details the challenges and opportunities for CFOs to help position their MNCs for success in China.
(Key Business Issues, December 2014)

As seen in consecutive years of The Conference Board CEO Challenge®, talent is paramount. So as China's record economic growth becomes a thing of the past, how will CHROs secure talent to position their MNCs to succeed as the future unfolds?
(Key Business Issues, December 2014)

In an unprecedented time of slow economic growth in China, CEOs and CSOs can look to this Strategic Overview for detailed recommendations on how to plan and prepare their organizations for a long soft fall.

The political-economy factors driving China’s soft fall lead us to be skeptical that domestic-led economic reform will be possible. However, the potential for coercing certain reforms via an outside-in, WTO-style roadmap may still exist.

Real Estate Investment (REI) has been a key driver of China’s economic growth for well over 10 years, accounting for between 12 and 20 percent of Chinese GDP. There is great concern about the potential impacts of an REI slowdown.

Despite a recent spate of large-scale infrastructure project approvals by the NDRC, economic growth continued on its downward trend, as Q4 started, and looks to have deteriorated further in November, prompting an interest rate cut by the central bank.

Science policy analysts are concerned that, if China keeps expanding R&D investment at its current rate, China will surpass the United States in R&D spending in the near future. Our research suggests otherwise.

This publication explores hot topics in talent management research and includes summaries on human capital trends. Topics include China's talent landscape and use of social media to identify potential hires.

Presented here with thorough detail and analysis are the trends, dynamics, and factors of the slowdown; China’s productivity crisis; the necessary policy reforms; and near-, medium-, and long-term projections for the MNC operating environment.

Organizations with highly engaging cultures continually build on positive momentum in an effort to drive and sustain business performance. This report explores the commonalities among these organizations.

Major news covered in this issue includes an overview of the Strategic Workforce Planning Academy Asia Program and highlights on The Conference Board Key Business Issues initiative.

(Periodical, October 2014)

Human Capital Analytics @ Work,
Volume I
Six high-profile companies describe how they use human capital analytics at their organizations and offer advice on how you can best implement it at yours.
(Research Report, October 2014)

Last week, local news reports in China indicated that the PBoC is set to issue 500 billion RMB to the five largest commercial banks through a tool called the Standing Lending Facility (SLF). This caused a great deal of market speculation.

China's change to its one-child policy is unlikely to promote a baby boom because working-age people in China today fear the extra burden and cost that a second child brings – and they are already struggling with familial obligations to care for their elders.

In November 2013, China’s birth control policy was amended by the Communist Party's Central Committee. However, the potential effect of the new policy remains quite uncertain, and several different interpretations exist.

In this second part of our Special Briefing Paper series, Dr. Harry X. Wu, Senior Advisor to the China Center, presents the second stage of findings from his 30-year-long work program to re-estimate the quantity and quality of Chinese economic growth.

Major news covered in this issue includes an overview of the Future China Business Leader un-Conference and the launch of The Future India Business Leader research report.

(Periodical, July 2014)

Future India Business Leader
As India-based companies expand, Indian business leaders will need to build deep competency in managing cross-cultural global teams—something participants in the India Leadership 2.0 Project see as lacking at present.
(Research Report, July 2014)

Risks to the downside are rising, with real estate at the top of the list of catalysts.

(China Center Publications, June 2014)

China Center Special Briefing Paper: Re-Estimating Chinese Growth
How fast has China’s economy really grown? The accuracy of any country’s GDP estimate is of critical importance to the business and policy community, both in-country and globally. [NOTE: updated version as of 20 June 2014]
(China Center Publications, June 2014)

Labor productivity is a critical indicator because it is strongly related to living standard measures. The higher the relative level of labor productivity, the greater the chance for economic expansion.

Almost every single economic indicator that has been released through the first three months of this year – exports, industry, manufacturing, consumption, real estate, credit markets, stock markets – has disappointed.

Climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies are becoming increasingly important. This report details eight steps for developing such strategies and provides examples of companies that have done so.

There are several problems with official Chinese economic data that are often overlooked, including structural breaks in employment statistics and implausibly high labor productivity figures related to “nonmaterial” services.

While CEOs see talent as the critical link in meeting their top business challenges, the 2014 CEO Challenge survey results show a heightened focus on customers and reputation and less concern about regulation and external risk.

Household consumption growth in China is slower than officially reported GDP growth and decelerating faster. This trend suggests that an economic rebalancing in favor of consumption-led growth is not happening.

Brand recognition and reputation are among the most valuable intangible assets of any company. In turn, sustainability initiatives have the potential to significantly impact corporate brand and reputation.

(Research Report, January 2014)

Conference Board CEO Challenge® 2014: People and Performance
While CEOs see talent as the critical link in meeting their top business challenges, the 2014 CEO Challenge survey results show a heightened focus on customers and reputation and less concern about regulation and external risk.
(CEO Challenge®, January 2014)

Despite higher interest rates throughout the month of November, credit extension ramped back up and real estate activity shot up as well.

(China Center Publications, December 2013)

Conference Board Labor Markets in Review™: Vol. 3, No. 1, 2013
Globally the economy has not returned to pre-recession growth levels. This report analyzes the effects of the different stages of recovery on labor market conditions, with a particular focus on the United States and Europe.
(Periodical, December 2013)

Developing Leaders: Voices from India
Leadership development is more critical than ever—and some companies have cracked the code. Learn what top companies in India are doing now to prepare tomorrow’s leaders.
(Research Report, December 2013)

Major news covered in this issue includes details of the launch of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® for India and the ASEAN Leadership 2.0 project, an ongoing dialogue on leadership issues.

(Periodical, December 2013)

Link between Human Capital and Sustainability
A good understanding of the link between human capital and sustainability can help company directors identify how investing in the right sustainability programs can drive significant improvements in human capital.
(Executive Action Report, December 2013)

Reducing the Chinese economy's reliance on real estate investment and putting more emphasis on productive capital formation would help unlock latent sources of growth, but the adjustment would be painful.

Except for house cleaning, Chinese households spend more time than their American counterparts on household production, and the viability of service sector market substitutions for this work has increased.

China Center Chart of the Week: Is RMB depreciation in the PBoC’s cards?
US politicians have been complaining for years about China's undervalued currency, but is that accusation still relevant? The numbers suggest China's central bank has been forced to prop up its currency over the past year, rather than hold it down.
(China Center Publications, August 2013)

The view of current global practices in leadership development and in-depth analysis of different regional leadership development approaches this report provides can help organizations improve their leadership development initiatives.

Offshoring is no longer the best or the only answer for management of knowledge process jobs, and many companies are investigating nearshore and onshore alternatives as the global competition for knowledge jobs intensifies.

This report describes China’s nonprofit sector and the challenges for foreign donors who wish to get involved with Chinese nonprofits. It also gives suggestions for identifying and partnering with organizations.

Responding in part to human capital executives’ stated frustrations, this report examines four opportunities for HC executives to better manage the global talent pool in an unpredictable business environment.

CEO Challenge Reflections: Human Capital Practitioners Respond
This report compares the responses of human capital professionals to the human capital strategies cited by 370 CEOs that ranked human capital as one of their top three challenges in The Conference Board CEO Challenge 2012.
(Executive Action Report, September 2012)

China’s 12th Five-Year Plan – Implications for Human Capital
China’s 12th Five Year Plan emphasizes the “human factor” in economic development more than any previous FYP. This China Center report distills out the plan’s implications for human capital practitioners and executives concerned about HC issues in China.
(China Center Publications, April 2012)

China Center QuickNote: China’s Soft Side
Transitioning China to a consumption led economy is not just a matter of ratcheting down investment and stimulating consumption, and containing the vested interests that would work to block this path. Indeed, this is the relatively easy part.
(China Center Publications, March 2012)

HR in Asia: Priorities in Compensation and Benefits
Global, standardized compensation and benefit programs help companies achieve consistency and convenience. But companies must strike a balance by delivering programs that are also responsive to the varying needs of their far-flung business units.
(Council Perspectives, April 2011)

China Productivity Quarterly
This China Center report is the first in a regular series of productivity reports on China from The Conference Board. Our intention is to gradually “peel the onion” on productivity measurement and business issues in China.
(China Center Publications, April 2011)

Giving the Working Poor a Working Chance
How can business and the world’s corporations help efforts to alleviate global poverty? And what is the rationale for getting involved?
(Council Perspectives, February 2011)

Go Where There Be Dragons
This report draws from the wisdom of 100+ executives on seven of The Conference Board Councils in Europe, the United States and Asia to define the global forces that are redefining the structure of leadership.
(Council Perspectives, October 2010)

Respondents to the latest edition of the annual survey of CEOs, presidents, and chairmen indicate that growth issues will be their top challenges for 2010.

(CEO Challenge®, February 2010)

Strategic Workforce Planning in Global Organizations
This report describes how SWP adds value by helping global companies make better business decisions. It details what it takes for companies to advance from a fledgling effort to a more robust version of SWP.
(Key Findings, January 2010)

Diversity and Inclusion: Global Challenges and Opportunities
This report, which is based on a joint meeting of The Conference Board Diversity and Inclusion Councils, offers insights into both the external and internal hurdles companies face when they try to implement a global diversity program.
(Council Perspectives, January 2010)

2009

CEO View . . .Managing through the Global Financial Crisis
CEOs of five of the world's leading companies predict that the current global financial crisis will leave its mark on how business is done in the future. But how, to what degree, and for how long?
(Executive Action Report, May 2009)

Multinational companies operating in China face challenges in recruiting, training, and retaining top managers. Job-hopping and rising wages in China are problems; short-term international assignments are one solution.

(Executive Action Report, January 2007)

2006

Leadership Challenges for Indian Companies
Tomorrow's Indian business leaders must be master strategists, able to manage change as well as relationships and networks, and perhaps most importantly demonstrate the ability to develop new leaders.
(Executive Action Report, October 2006)

Competitive Advantage of “Low-Wage” Countries Often Exaggerated
When adjusting wages for productivity, the cost advantage to
companies of "low-wage" countries and regions such as China,
India, Mexico, or Central and Eastern Europe over North America and Western Europe is smaller than you think.
(Executive Action Report, October 2006)

On the Record With.... Lim Chee-Onn
An in-depth interview with Lim Chee-Onn, Executive Chairman, Keppel Corporation, Ltd., Singapore, on current forces in management and the marketplace and the trends he expects to face in the future.
(Executive Action Report, May 2006)

2005

Developing global business leaders is as complex as the world in which they work and requires a top-down corporate commitment to training, feedback, and balancing individuals’ goals with business needs.

Developing global business leaders is as complex as the world in which they work and requires a top-down corporate commitment to training, feedback, and balancing individuals’ goals with business needs.

Regional dynamics and differences require firms to manage their organizations flexibly and adjust their approaches to talent management and leadership development to compete effectively in the Asia-Pacific marketplace.

Thinking Offshoring Through
For a topic that has been so widely and so hotly debated, the answers to many questions about offshoring are still somewhat hazy. Why is that?
(Executive Action Report, February 2005)

Companies in Asia-Pacific who want to have a successful employee value proposition should embed corporate governance as well as diversity and inclusion policies into corporate culture.

(Executive Action Report, February 2005)

2004

CEO Challenge 2004: Perspectives and Analysis
This report, based on The Conference Board's CEO Challenge 2004 Survey project, presents the findings of in-depth interviews with 11 CEOs from multinational companies, along with data and analysis of survey respondents' top priorities.
(CEO Challenge®, November 2004)

Asia's New Era of Opportunity
Many changes have been made since the 1997-98 financial crisis in Asia. Can these changes provide Asian economies with a critical source of home-grown capital?
(Executive Action Report, August 2004)

2003

Branding Challenges in the Great China Breakout
The domestic market in China for many manufactured goods is heavily saturated in several sectors, leading to stiff competition and squeezing profit margins. This is causing Chinese manufacturers to launch their brands on the world market.
(Executive Action Report, December 2003)

Hong Kong Corporates and Investor Confidence
This corporate governance handbook for directors
and officers of corporations in Hong Kong is based on interviews, seminars and research conducted by The Conference Board in Hong Kong during 2001 and 2002.
(Research Report, January 2003)

India Corporates and Investor Confidence
This corporate governance handbook for directors and officers of corporations in India is based on extensive field interviews with major Indian companies as well as focus group meetings with 40-50 executives of leading corporations in Mumbai and Delhi.
(Research Report, January 2003)

Singapore Corporates and Investor Confidence
This corporate governance handbook for directors
and officers of corporations in Singapore is based on extensive research, seminars and focus group meetings, and personal interviews with senior executives in Singapore.
(Research Report, January 2003)

2001

Corporate headquarters (CHQ) has been termed the “leadership engine” of a business. In recent years, however, many corporations have moved toward a management model characterized by decentralization and self-governing entities.

2000

Real per-capita income worldwide has grown more than 2 percent per year on average since 1950, but the income gap between OECD countries and many poorer countries has increased.

(Research Report, January 2000)

1998

Meeting the Challenge of Global Logistics
As the entire world provides you with suppliers, your challenges—and opportunities—in logistics grow. Here's a look at what you can do.
(Research Report, February 1998)

Global Growth Strategies
How do you create global growth — and once you're growing, how do you keep going? Here's the experience of senior executives and CEOs on managing growth.
(Research Report, January 1998)

1996

Organizing for Global Competitiveness
This overview summarizes four of the most popular reports in The Conference Board's series on global organization design.
(Research Report, August 1996)